Steering connecting rod for automobiles



May M. c. RIDENOUR STEERING CONNECTING ROD FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Dec. 11, 1925 Patented May 17, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

14mm 0. mnnngun, or 'xmewoon, wssr vrnc mrm nssreuon or onn-srjxrn ro 'rnoms m. nmmroun AND oun-srxrn 'ro' 111mm: L. summon, Born or me- .woon. wns'r vmemm.

STEERING CONNECTING BOD FOB AUTOIOBILES.

Application filed December 11, 1925. Serial Io. 74,819.

The present inventionrelates to the steering connecting rod of automobiles and more particularly to the hall and socket oint a the ends thereof.

In the joints now in common use, they are constructed so that if'the retaining spr ng should break or lose its tension, there exists a greatdanger that the spindleconnecting rod yoke ball may become displaced from the socket. I a

It is the prime object of the present invention to provide positive means for preventing displacement of this ball from elther 'end of the steering connectln rod.

Another very im' ortant ob1ect of the mvvention is to provi e an improvedball and socket joint which will be efliclent In use, stron durable, compact, convenient to hand e, easy to manipulate, not llkely to weasily become outv of order, and otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which 1t 1s designed. Y

With the above and numerous other objects in view as will appear as the descrip- 5 tion proceeds, the invention resldes m certainnovel features of construction and m the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing- Figure .1 is asectional elevation of one end of a steering connecting rod embodymg the features of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a view takensubstantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, w

Fig. 3 is atransverse section taken substantially on the line 33 of F1 .2, and

Fig. 4 is a' detail perspective 0 the sleeve.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will 41 be seen that A designates t e connecting rod which is provided at each end with a socket casing B. I haveill'ustrated only .one end of the connecting rod. since both ends are identical in formation. I will, therefore, 45 describe only one end in detail. The letter C designates the usual steering gear eonnectin rod yoke ball havingthe usual shank D. e soc et casing B is rovided with a lon 'tudinally extendin s ot. having one end E larger than the C to permit the insertion of said ball and the proved structure for preventing the displace.-

ameter of the ball other end F smaller than the diameter of the ball 0 but larger than the diameter of the shank D.

A retainer G is impinged against the ball G by a spring H which is tensioned by the plug J threaded in the open end of .the socketsc'asing B. A cotter pin K pierces transversely the 0 n end of the socket casing B and exten s through the groove M provided in the plu J for locking this plug againstaccidental isplacement. The parts thus far described are well known in the art and no novelty in these elements themselves is claimed by me except in as far as they are in the combinations claimed hereinafter.

arts thus far described practically The form t e complete ball and socket joint which is now in common use on steering 10 connecting rods. It has frequently hapned that'the' spring H loses its tension or omes broken so that the ball 0 is free to move in registry with the'larger end E of the slot of the socket casing B and thus become-displaced therefrom. This displacement of the ball is the cause of a large number of accidents.

Referring now particularly to my imment of the ball 0 even though the sprin H becomes broken or loses its tension, it w' be seen that 5 designates a sleeve which is rotatable and slidably receivable in the socket casing B. This sleeve 5 has its outer endclosed as is indicated at 6 while its inner end is open. A slot 7 is. rovided in the sleeve 5 to extend longitu inally from the open end of said sleeve and to terminate a distance from the closed end 6 thereof. The width of this slot 7 is substantially the same as the width of the end F of the slot in the spring H engaging the closed end 6 as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. The sleeve. is then placed into the socket casin .B through the open end thereof, ball C aving reviously been positioned in its proper ace.

It will thus be seenlthat the ball will be positioned in the open end of this sleeve.

I also provide an additional retainer 9, against which the ball C is impinged by the retainer G and spring H. Thisadditional retainer G is provided with a spindle shank 10 that is receivable ina counterbore 11 which I provide in the closed end of the socket casing B.

From the above description in detail, it will be seen that with my additional improved elements, should the spring H break or lose its tension, that it is impossible for the ball C to become displaced from the socket, because the width of the slot 7 is less than the diameter of the ball C. It is further to be noted that the sleeve 5 functions as an additional bearin since it is rotatable and slidable in the soc et, thus assisting in the elimination of friction and more particularly in preventing excessive wear of the ball 0, as is occasioned by the present mounting of the ball since the rotation of the sleeve will take up someof this wear.

The present embodiment and use of the invention has been disclosed merely by way of example, since in actual practice it attains the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description. It will be apparent that'changes in the details of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is In combination with a ball and socket joint; wherein the joint includes a socket casing having one end open and having a slot, a ball for reception in the socket casing, one end of the slot bein larger than the ball to permit insertion o the ball in the casing and the other end being smaller than the ball and long enough to permit the projection of a shank from the ball, a'retaining spring in the casing for exerting pressure upon the ball to retain it adjacent the smaller end of the slot, a nut closing the open end of the casing and tensioning the spring to exert pressure upon the ball; of a sleeve rotatably mounted within the socket casing and having one end closed and the other end 7 ture.

MARTIN C. RIDENOUR. 

